Good Impression Incantation

Are you going for an interview, attending an important meeting, or speaking to your new editor? Clearly, you will want to make the best impression when launching this important new relationship. To ensure that you start on the right footing, let the enchantment begin!

Gather together

    * 1 orange candle

    * 1 yellow apple

    * 5 pumpkin seeds

    * a citrine or clear quartz

All of these objects contain the properties of sharpness, intelligence, and clarity.

In the first light of a Tuesday morning, place the items on your altar. Light the orange candle and eat at least half of the apple and all the pumpkin seeds. Ancient Romans called our sun Sol and viewed it as an invincible life-bringing force. Meditate and visualize the beginning of your successful encounter and watch as the glow of sunshine fills the room with the radiant energy of the yellow-orange sun. Chant:

    Sol, I bask in your bountiful rays, this and all days.

    As you shine, so shall I.

    So mote it be.

Snuff out your candle and be prepared for a productive new relationship that will carry your work to new heights.

Crystalline Calm

You can create a sense of blissful and composed calm with the following spell.

Timing: The spell works best during early morning or twilight, when the light is half sun and half dark.

Sit with a turquoise stone for grounding in your left hand and with clear quartz in your right hand for calm and clarity. Feel the cool stones begin to warm to your hand and meditate in the quietude of half-light. Then speak this spell:

    Fear and doubt leave me now.

    Serenity and strength, come to me now.

    In these stones, I feel the earth, the mountain.

    I receive my vitality from Nature, grounding now.

    Now and in the future, all joy will enter.

    Harm to none, only good. Blessed be me.

Keep the two stones on your nightstand for whenever you need to regain calm and clarity.

Crown Chakra Tonic for Insight

 

This magical hair tonic will clear your mind, awaken your senses, and open your crown chakra (the energy point at the top of your head), preparing the way for telepathic insight.

Gather together

    * 2-ounce (55ml) squeeze bottle

    * 4 drops rosewood essential oil

    * 2 tablespoons rosemary essential oil

    * a palmful of plain unscented hair conditioner

Timing: Ideally, perform this ritual when the sun or moon is in the truth-seeking signs of Gemini or Sagittarius for greatest effect.

Combine the oils and conditioner in the bottle. Shake well and pour onto your freshly shampooed hair while singing:

    Sweetness, born of Rose,Fly me on the wings of dreams.

    We are made of sacred earth, purest water, Sacred fire, wildest wind.

    Blessing upon me. Blessing upon thee.

    So mote it be.

At the very least, you will have visions and great clarity. You might even realize your true destiny. Wear your new wisdom gloriously, like a crown.

Inspired Clarity: Breath of the Gods Incense

Burn this mixture of incense on your altar to generate a positive and peaceful atmosphere to set the stage for your ritual. Rose hips and mint are for heart, enthusiasm, and keen thinking. The yellow candle, yellow rose, and the yellow citrine crystal are used to symbolize intelligence and mental clarity.

Gather together

• 1 tablespoon dried rose hips
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried mint
• a charcoal cake for burning incense
• a fireproof clay or glass dish
• a yellow candle
• neroli essential oil
• a yellow rose bud
• 1 cup (240ml) of fresh water in a bowl
• a citrine crystal

Timing: Perform this rite during the new moon, when the moon is dark and not visible.

Using your mortar and pestle, grind together the rose hips and the mint. Once they are nicely mixed, place the herbs on a piece of charcoal in a fireproof clay or glass dish. Light a yellow candle anointed with neroli oil and place a single yellow rose in a vase to one side of the incense burner. On the other side, place the bowl of water with the citrine crystal in it. Light the incense and breathe in. The word “inspire” comes from the Greek word for “breath of the gods,” so allow this divine essence to fill you with grace.

Chakra Crystals

The concept of chakras originated many thousands of years ago in Asia. The ancient philosophers and metaphysicians identified seven main energy centers around the body and saw each chakra emanating energy in the form of a rainbow color that affected the mental, physical, and spiritual balance in a human being. Chakra theory is the basis of many Eastern healing practices. One of the simplest ways to achieve well-being is to place crystals on the parts of the body where certain chakras are centered. Many people I know credit their clarity and well-being to chakra therapy. One sure way to relieve stress and fortify the emotional body is this laying on of crystals.

Chakra	Color	Energies	Corresponding Crystals
First, root (base of spine)	Red	Security, Survival	Garnet, Smoky Quartz
Second, sacral	Orange	Pleasure	Amber, Carnelian
Third, solar plexus	Yellow	Drive, Personal Power	Amber, Citrine, Topaz
Fourth, heart	Green	Abundance, Love, Serenity	Peridot, Rose Quartz
Fifth, throat	Blue	Creativity, Originality	Blue Quartz, Tiger’s-Eye
Sixth, third eye	Indigo	Intuitiveness, Perception	Fluorite, Lapis Lazuli
Seventh, crown	Violet	Holy Bliss, All Is One	Amethyst, Diamond

Let Your Light Shine: A First Impression Spell

Are you going to an interview, meeting an artist’s representative, or speaking to your new editor? Clearly, you will want to make the best impression when launching this important new relationship. To ensure that you start on the right footing, gather the following ingredients: oranges, an orange candle, a glass of orange juice, vanilla beans, vanilla incense, and pumpkin seeds. All of these contain the properties of sharpness, intelligence, and clarity.

In the first light of morning, light the orange candle and the vanilla incense. Eat half of the orange and five pumpkin seeds, drink the orange juice, and watch as the glow of sunshine fills the room with the radiant energy of the orange sun. Chant:

    Sol, I bask in your bountiful rays,

    this and all days.

    As you shine, so shall I.

    So mote it be.

Snuff out your candle and be prepared for a productive new relationship that will carry your work to new heights.

Meditation

Tibetan monks also suggest doing a meditative movement, such as tai chi or yoga, to stretch and relax both body and mind prior to entering the intense mental stillness and physicality demanded by the construction of the sand mandala. Essentially, you are bent over for quite a long time in deep concentration, and you need to prepare yourself physically and mentally for this direction of your energies. Movement is a way of centering yourself.

In addition to the movement, you should also meditate and surround yourself with the energy of light and love. Sit on the floor, lotus fashion, and in a whispered chant, repeat the Sanskrit word Om over and over again. Manage your breathing, slowly and deeply. You will soon feel your heart and mind surrounded by energy. Now, focus on your intention again and ponder any new clarity of thought.

Gifted and Talented: Success Accessories for Work

It is no accident that kings, queens, and emperors wore crowns.  The ancients expected their leaders to be wise, and a bejeweled crown bestowed the brilliance and power of the gems to the crowned person, While you may not want to wear a tiara to the office or a crown to the grocery store, you can wear hair clips and barrettes with crystals and stones attached for some of the same reasons.  Why not be smarter and smartly accessorized?  Bejeweled barrettes worn at the temples confer wit and wisdom, a kind of brain-boosting power energy.

Terrific Tiger’s Eye

Tiger’s Eye can help you filter out mental distractions; excellent for research

Tops Turquoise

Turquoise is a good stone to  help keep your mind and thoughts clear

Fabulous Fluorite

Fluorite is a true crystal of the mind and is very good  for escalating mental focus

 

Brilliant Blue Scapolite

This blue crystal helps with multitasking and managing a great deal of information

  

Super Sodalite

Sodalite brings clarity, insights and combines logic and intuition, a great combo!

Peridot

Pretty, pale green peridot is the gem variety of oviline. Peridot has been mined as a gemstone for more than 4,000 years, and until recently, the best-quality stones came from Egypt. Now, Arizona has lovely specimens, and Pakistan may have the world’s finest-quality peridot at this point. Peridot has a nearly unmatched clarity and is considered a visionary stone. It helps us connect to our higher life purpose and achieve a deeper soul connection. Peridot is a real confidence booster, too. It cuts through the clouds and helps achieve quick results. If you are shy and slow moving, peridot may make things happen a little too quickly for your comfort level. You should also get really clear about what you truly want. If you are confused about your worldly goals, this is not the stone for you!

Peridot helps release toxins and brings issues to the surface so that they can be cleared away. This gem is peerless for the release of anger. The clarity of peridot will help you realize clarity in your sphere, as well. Peridot is good for the skin and is a stomach soother.

Carnelian

 If you have lost your lust for life and fallen into a pattern of old habits and uncreative day-to-day drudgery, this is the stone for you. Carnelian, also referred to in bygone days as carbuncle, is a type of quartz from the chalcedony gem family. Among the more abundantly available stones, it is found in Peru, Iceland, Romania, Britain, India, Pakistan, and the Czech Republic. Carnelian is a clear stone and is most commonly thought of as red, thus the name, but also comes in orange and occasionally very dark brown. It is found in pebble form and is translucent.

Carnelian has a long history and was used to cleanse other stones. It is an earth stone and acts as an anchor to the earth. Carnelian is thought to eliminate fear of death and is grounding and clarifying. In olden days, it was used as a sort of backward mirror to recall historical events. It is a lucky stone for people pursuing business ventures and for women hoping to have children. Carnelian is linked with the lower chakras and can heal holes in the etheric body and give support for letting go of anger, old resentments, and emotions that no longer serve a positive purpose. Orange carnelian is especially beloved for its ability to promote energy and vitality—to warm the emotions.

Part of the tradition around carnelian is that if worn at your throat it overcomes timidity and lends the power of great and eloquent speech. Like some other red stones, carnelian also gives your courage. In addition, wearing carnelian can offer you a sense of comfort with your environment and create the proper atmosphere for meditation and total clarity of mind and thought. Carnelian as a pendant or belt gives you control of your thoughts and understanding of others.

Aventurine

Associated with the eyes, this crystal is most commonly found in green, but it also appears in blue, red, and brown. Aventurine comes from Russia, India, Nepal, and Brazil and was at one time believed by Tibetans to be able to overcome myopia, both literally and figuratively. In Tibet, aventurine was also thought to have the ability to open the third eye and to release imagination and perception.

Considered to be beneficial to the thymus and the nervous system, aventurine is one of those rare general healers that can offer wellness to any part of the body upon which it is laid. As a general healing stone, it can also be used in tandem with other stones, such as rose quartz and malachite. Combined with rose quartz, aventurine can help open your heart and soul to love and compassion. Used in combination with malachite, the benefits are clarity and raised consciousness. Highly recommended and an excellent boon for young children, aventurine is a wonder stone for the well-being of the whole family.

Crystal Meditation

Crystals are tools used to heal and transform our lives. I think of them as the tools of the metaphysician. Meta means “beyond” or “above,” and physics is the science of the physical world. So metaphysics literally means “beyond physics,” and there is much that cannot be explained by ordinary science and the laws that have been established. Physics is very much about tracing energy and the origins and effects of it, yet ordinary science and physics cannot necessarily explain how crystals manage and direct energy in powerful ways. They can be used to store, change, amplify, focus, and send energy.

Crystals can be a point for focus, an aid to absolute clarity of thought and intention. I was once told that these stones can be “tuning forks” for the consciousness, a though I just love.

I recommend this meditation exercise for training yourself to gain laser-like focus: Lie on the floor in a place where you will not be distracted. Clear your thoughts and open your mind. Place a small quartz in the center of your forehead. Your pineal gland is located here, as is your third eye—the source of all intuition. After a few moments pass, you should start to have visualizations that are sort of like daydreams, but these messages are from your higher consciousness. I have had friends and workshop mates report that while performing this technique they went into another realm entirely—a fantasy world, a paradise, an unknown and a very appealing place. Nearly everyone reports that they passed through a set of gates. You should perform this meditation for about thirty minutes, but no longer. We don’t want anyone to leave us for too long and remain in reverie.

After you try meditating solo, you may want to participate in activities with a group. At a retreat I organized for Z Budapest at the Ralston White Retreat Center in Mill Valley, California, she led us through a truly magical journey deep into Mother Earth. This was for the purpose of grounding us so we could get the most benefit from the weekend adventure. With Z’s permission, I will share this meditation with you. You can do it with a group of people who have a shared intention. Start by having everyone lie down in a circle formation with their eyes closed. Z’s guided tour follows:

Blessed beings, you are about to enter the Mother, our great earth goddess, Gaia. In your mind, you are standing with bare feet on the ground. You can feel the grass with your toes, the solid earth underneath your feet. Feel the solidity and fastness of the earth fill your body with strength; we are all made of clay. We come from the death, and we are made of earth. Feel your connection to the Mother. We come from the earth, her womb. We are made of stardust and clay and the waters of the ocean. Feel the blood in your veins. The water of life. Know that you are alive. Feel her winds, the breath of life. Breathe deeply ten times, completely filling your lungs and completely emptying your lungs. Breathe and feel your chest rising and falling with each breath.

Now feel your backbone connecting to the earth; you feel a cord connecting you and your life to the earth. Concentrate on the cord until you can feel it running all the way through you and deep into the earth. Tug on the cord; feel it give. Now, take the cord in your hands and follow it down, down deep into the earth. It is dark as you go down and down, but do not be frightened. Trust in the universe and keep descending into the bosom of the Mother. Down we go, not falling but moving purposefully, gracefully, following the cord of the earth. Now you see light. Keep moving toward the light and keep holding the cord as it leads you to the shining distance.

The light grows nearer, and you see that it is an opening, a cave, a safe place in which to shelter. Enter the cave. It is filled with light, firelight reflected off a thousand crystal points. An old woman sits as the fire, warming her bones in her warm and dry cave. It is beautiful, more beautiful than the palace of any king or the castle of any queen. It is the crystal cave of the Goddess, and you are with her. Show your respect to the Goddess and light the incense at her altar at the side of the cave, piled up with many shimmering stones and priceless gems, the bounty and beauty of our generous benefactor.

Sit quietly and head the special message she has for you. You are her child, and she has dreamed a dream for you. Now we listen and breathe. Blessed be.

Z led us back to the circle, and after that, nobody’s life was ever the same. In my experience with this particular guided visualization, I could smell the incense as we lit it. All the women at this retreat had profound experiences with Z Budapest and the Goddess that day. It helped greatly to have such a skilled guide as the Dianic priestess, Ms. Budapest, with her purring Hungarian accent. But with caring intention and the willingness to really let go, we can all achieve marvelous breakthroughs with these meditative exercises.

On that day, I received a very specific insight from the Goddess to go back to graduate school and pursue my abandoned dream of a master’s degree in medieval studies. I felt exhilarated by this resolute in my decision. I felt alive with purpose and so blessed to be pursuing both my scholarship and my spirituality. I remember that the reality of working full-time and going back to school at night wasn’t easy, but whenever I started to stumble on my path, I remembered back to the crystal cave and my time with the great glowing Goddess in her magnificent crystal cave, and I immediately felt stronger.

Here is an exercise I learned long ago from my mentor in all things magical, Z Budapest, for the transformation of energy: Fill a bowl with 2 cups of water, preferably distilled or, better yet, good old rainwater. Put a chunk of clear quartz crystal that weighs at least 6 ounces into the water basin. Take another bowl of the same size and fill it with the exact same kind of water and place it in another room at least 15 feet away from the bowl containing the crystal. After one full day and night, fill two glasses with the water from each bowl; you will marvel at the difference in taste. What makes the difference? There is a molecular change in the water containing the crystal. The water is transformed.

Gifted and Talented: Success Accessories for Work

 

It is no accident that kings, queens, and emperors wore crowns. The ancients expected their leaders to be wise, and a bejeweled crown bestowed the brilliance and power of the gems to the crowned person, While you may not want to wear a tiara to the office or a crown to the grocery store, you can wear hair clips and barrettes with crystals and stones attached for some of the same reasons. Why not be smarter and smartly accessorized? Bejeweled barrettes worn at the temples confer wit and wisdom, a kind of brain-boosting power energy.

• Terrific Tiger’s Eye can help you filter out mental distractions; excellent for research.

• Tops Turquoise is a good stone to help keep your mind and thoughts clear.

• Fabulous Fluorite is a true crystal of the mind and is very good for escalating mental focus.

• Brilliant Blue Scapolite is a beautiful blue crystal that helps with multitasking and managing a great deal of information.

• Super Sodalite brings clarity, insights and combines logic and intuition, a great combo!

Astral Azurite

The great psychic and healer Edgar Cayce used this blue beauty for achieving remarkable meditative states during which he had astoundingly accurate visions and prophetic dreams. Indeed, azurite helps achieve a high state of mental clarity and powers of concentration. If you can’t find the answer to a problem in the here and now, try looking for solutions on the astral plane. Write the problem down on paper and place it under a small azurite overnight on a windowsill so it collects moonlight.

At 11:11 a.m., lie comfortably in a quiet and darkened room with the azurite stone placed over your third eye on your forehead. Clear your mind of everything for eleven minutes and meditate. Sit up and listen for the first thing that comes into your mind—it should be the answer or a message regarding the issue at hand. Write down the words you receive. The rest of the day you will be in a state of grace and higher mind during which you will hear information and answers to help guide you in many aspects of your life. If you, like me, enjoy this meditation, you may want to do it every day at 11:11 a.m. and every night at 11:11 p.m. I strongly suggest that you keep a journal of these “azurite answers.” You may receive information that you won’t understand until many years have passed, making the journal an invaluable resource and key to your very special life.

Clary Sage Clarity Incantation

Here is a handy spell for physical well-being as well as a self-esteem boost. For this witchy approach to preventive medicine, take a green candle on a Friday, dress it with clary sage oil, and speak the following three times:

My health is mine, under this moon divine.
I choose to be well in this healthy body I dwell.
No more pain and strife, vital breath of life.
Harm to none; health to me.
So mote it be.

Clarify Your Intention

Why do you want to create a mandala? Your reason is your intention, and is the focus of your ritual. One basic guideline is that the creation of a sand mandala should be “for the greater good.” Some examples of reasons to create a specific mandala include:

To help create world peace

To bring renewed health to body and spirit

To bless a new home

To bless and bring joy to all people in your life

Sun: Its rays are a representation of light, energy, and life. A sun mandala will represent the positive and celebrate your life, the spark and flame of existence.

Moon: In all its phases, the moon represents the feminine and female power. Moon mandalas are wonderful for women to create in celebration of their own femininity and of woman-power throughout time. Any goddess mandala can include the symbol of the moon.

Heart: A universal symbol of love, this sweet design would make an excellent blessing to a romantic relationship or a gift to loved ones.

Triangle: It represents the Christian Holy Trinity and Egyptian spirituality and wisdom.

Downward-Pointing Triangle: It represents the “yoni yantra” and signifies the female, the element of water, and the mother and the ability to create. A mandala blessing for an expectant mother should include the downward-pointing triangle. Water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces would do well to honor themselves with this design.

Double Triangle or Hexagram: In tantra, this represents all of creation, the conjunction of male and female energies. The concept of infinity is also represented by this symbol. A relationship mandala, especially in the sensual realm, will work well with double triangles. If you want to connect to the great universe, the symbol of infinity is essential. This symbol is ideal for creativity mandalas. In India, the double triangle indicates Kali in union with Shiva, and it is also the symbol for the heart chakra. If you want to create a mandala for blessing a relationship or to open your heart, the hexagram is an excellent choice. Combining the heart symbol and hexagram would be a powerful love mandala.

Pentagram: Other names for the pentagram include the Wizard’s Star, the Druid’s Foot, the Witch’s Cross, and the Star of Bethlehem. Wiccans have claimed the pentagram as their insignia. If you want to do a mandala for healing the earth, the pentagram will accomplish this quite nicely.

Square or Quadrangle: It is the sign of the four directions, and also the four elements and the four seasons. The square of the day also indicates the four significant times of day: sunrise, noonday, sunset, midnight. For the ancient Hindus, the square stood for order in the universe. You can use a square to invoke the four directions in this way, to honor the elements of air, earth, fire and water, and also to mark sacred time for prayer and meditation.

Octagon or Double Square: With its eight points, this is another symbol for divine order and unification. It is a good symbol for peace on earth. Essentially an eight-pointed star, the octagon is a symbol for rebirth and renewal and the wheel of the year. The octagon is believed to have magical powers, as does the pentacle or pentagram, when drawn in one line. In this case, they are believed to indicate sacred space. An octagon is a very good symbol to include in a mandala when you are embarking on a new phase of your life—a new home, job, relationship, a “new you”—that can be blessed in this manner.

Knotwork and the “Knot of Eternity”: These are lovely symbols of unity. In Buddhist tradition, knotwork represents contemplation and meditation. Celtic knotwork symbolizes the eternal flow of energy and life.

Lotus: This flower represents beauty, creation, renewal, and in Buddhism, the search for enlightenment. If the lotus has twelve petals, it represents the energy of the sun. If it has sixteen petals, it is the symbol for the moon. The most spiritual mandalas will likely contain the image of the lotus.

Hold your hand over the mandala design you have drawn and visualize the light of the universe, of the sun pouring through you and through your hands to the sand and the design. If you feel a personal connection to any benevolent spirits such as angels, the Buddha, or gods or goddesses, you should call upon them to also bless your efforts and the material with their sacred energy.

You may notice a warming of your hands as you continue concentrating “in the light.” Invoke aloud or pray silently to your benevolent guardians to bless your endeavor. When you are ready, take some time to look at your mandala and contemplate the image you have created. Look deeply and quietly and “receive” any insights or messages during meditation. Close the ritual by dedicating the blessing energy of the mandala to the greater good of the universe.

Color Symbology for the Chakras and Mandala Design

First, root (base of spine)           red           security, survival

Second, sacral                            orange     pleasure

Third, solar plexus                     yellow     divine, personal power

Fourth, heart                              green        abundance, love, serenity

Fifth, throat                                blue          creativity, originality 

Sixth, third eye                          indigo       intuitiveness, perception 

Seventh, crown                          violet        holy bliss, all is one 

Color Connection

Color is a form of energy that can be broken down by individual vibrations. We use colors in our homes and at work to affect moods. The right colors can calm, energize, or even romanticize a setting. Colors promote many desired states of being. Anyone using color is tuning in to the vibration frequency of that particular color. Some psychics have the skills and training to read your aura; they can literally see the energy radiating out from your body.

Other colors not in the spectrum or chakra exist in crystals and stones, and are significant in their own right: brown, gray, black, white, silver and gold.

Brown: the color of humility and poverty; represents safety and the home.

Gray: the color of grief and mourning; symbolized resurrection in medieval times; gray is the first color the human eye can perceive in infancy.

Black: protection and strength; fortifies your personal energies and gives them more inner authority; symbolizes fertile, life- giving, rich earth, and nourishing rain in Africa.

White: purity, peace, patience, and protection; some cultures associate white with death.

Silver: relates to communication and greater access to the universe; indicates a lunar connection or female energy.

Gold: direct connection to God; facilitates wealth and ease.

The color spectrum is correlated with seven basic vibrations. These are the same vibrations that comprise the musical scale, and the same vibrations that are the foundation of our seven vibration chakra system. The “lightest” vibrations are at the top and the “heaviest” vibrations are at the bottom. By now you should know that the color system is composed of seven colors, all visible in the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. A great way to remember the colors is by their collective acronym, which sounds like a name: Roy G. Biv. Consult the following color guide when you are choosing a color for any aspect of your life.

Color management can help you on the most basic level each day. To combat feeling depressed, wear yellow to raise your energy level. If you have a business meeting and you want to put your colleagues at ease, wear earthy colors like brown or green. You can experiment with different combinations, too. Remember, the purpose here is to find your soul colors.

Create Your Temple Sanctuary: Magical Mandalas and Sacred Space

Spiritual health is just as important as the other kind. Regular maintenance and what I call “inner work” is greatly abetted if you have sacred space where you feel at your best. If you don’t have access to a temple space, you can create a sacred temple space in your own home. The imprint of your own creativity is vital to your personal shrine; it should be decorated with things also made by your own hand. Ideally, your windows allow sacred light to fall upon your designs. This is an artistic endeavor; you are making sacred art. If you do your best work at night, be sure to have adequate lighting. It is also a good idea to reduce the possibilities of distractions and interruptions. It is strongly suggested to turn off phones and television, to create as peaceful an environment as possible.

Bless the space in a fashion of your own choosing with your favorite incense, candles and objects that represent deepest spirituality to you. A magical mandala will greatly enhance your sacred space. The word “mandala” is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean “circle,” a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself—a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.

Sandalwood Spell for Grounding (Waning Moon and New Moon)

Sandalwood, from the Sanskrit word chandana, has been used for thousands of years in India. The woody, sweet smell clears your mind and reconnects you to the earth. This simple spell can actually be used every day as prayer, or to prepare for meditation. Light a stick of sandalwood incense and “smudge” the area with the soothing smoke.

Anoint a brown candle with sandalwood oil. In scentless base oil, such as canola, olive or sesame, add:

• Six drops sandalwood oil
• Two drops lemon oil
• Two drops amber oil

Warm this concoction in a clay oil lamp or carefully heat it on the stove. When it is warm to the touch, dip your left ring finger into the oil and anoint your “third eye,” located in the center of your forehead, just above the eyes.

Sitting in the cross-legged lotus position, whisper three times:

Come to me clarity, come to me peace, 
Come to me wisdom. Come to me bliss. 
I sit in stillness, I sit in peace.
As above, so below; and so it is.

Meditate for twenty minutes, and then massage the warmed oil into your feet. You will be utterly and blissfully grounded now.

Hedgewitch Tinctures

Teas brewed from a single herb are commonly called “simples.” I love that phrase of olden times. Experience has taught me that these simples often have the most intensity, since the very singleness of the herb gives it potency. A simple made from one of the following herbs enhances mental clarity, even clairvoyance. This will jumpstart you on your path toward any creative pursuit. Here is a recipe for a very inspired tea:

Boil one pint of spring water. Place into your favorite crockery teapot a half-ounce of any ONE of the following herbs: rosemary, mugwort, yarrow or thyme.

Steep for ten minutes and strain with a nonmetallic strainer, like cheesecloth or an inexpensive bamboo strainer. Sweeten with a little honey; I recommend clover honey because you get the added benefits of clover’s lucky powers. Sip this brew while relaxing, and be inspired!

Keep Your Moon Goddess Close

Whether you’re passinate about writing code, cooking, growing plants, painting, or writing music, you can stay in touch with your favorite goddess by using a special tool that will draw her to you with the sweet-smelling smoke of sage.

Sage is hardy and sun-loving, so keep a pot of it on the windowsill. There are very simple steps to take to create a sage wand to use when you need inspiration. First, you will want to create a tight braid of materials. This braid will consist of a long fennel stalk, a twisted bundle of sage, long sticks of incense (I prefer cinnamon), and purple (for power) and gold (for money) string or thread. Before your prayers to the goddess, simply light one end of your wand and gently wave it around your head to clear your environment. Your mind will be cleared in the process, freeing the way for abundant ideas. A little sage smoke goes a long way, so you will not want to burn the entire wand at once. Keep a cup of water or a small bowl of earth on hand to extinguish your wand when you are done. Always express gratitude to the goddess for all she does for all of us.